Why did Tamil Nadu ban mayonnaise made from raw eggs?
Last month, Tamil Nadu became the third State in the country after Kerala and Telangana to ban mayonnaise prepared from raw eggs for a year. This decision, according to the State's Food Safety Department, was in the interest of public health.
Reason behind the ban
Mayonnaise made of raw eggs is a high-risk food as it carries a risk of food poisoning, especially from Salmonella bacteria, Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella enteritidis, Escherichia coli, and Listeria monocytogenes. A number of food business operators use raw egg for the preparation of mayonnaise, and improper preparation and storage facilitates contamination by microorganisms can create a public health risk, the notification said.
Food safety officials clarified that only mayonnaise made from raw eggs was banned and not mayonnaise made of pasteurised eggs and vegetarian mayonnaise.
A. G. Saranya Gayathiri, managing director, Parikshan FSS Pvt Ltd says: 'Spoiled eggs can produce many kinds of diseases. Normally, if an egg is broken, experts say that it should be processed within 20 minutes. It is a highly perishable and a high risk item. In the preparation of mayonnaise using eggs, it is not a hot food process as we use raw eggs. So, personal hygiene, place hygiene and equipment hygiene is very important. Once it is prepared, it should be used immediately or stored at a temperature of 0-5 degrees C. Since it is easy to prepare, it is prepared in many places including places that do not have a proper chilling system. Without proper awareness, food handlers keep it at room temperature, and so the chances of food spoilage become very high. That is why the government banned the product.'
What are the health risks?
Kalarani. R, dietician, Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, calls the government ban a welcome move. 'Microbial contamination remains a significant concern when raw eggs are involved, particularly when products are prepared in unhygienic environments or stored improperly. Unrefrigerated mayonnaise can become a breeding ground for harmful bacteria such as Salmonella, which poses serious health risks. Salmonella infection can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhoea, fever, and abdominal cramps to more severe outcomes such as bloody stools, high fever, and even life-threatening complications like bacteremia. These dangers highlight the importance of food safety, especially in products consumed widely across age groups,' she says.
Venkatesh Munikrishnan, senior Consultant - Colorectal and Robotic Surgeon, Apollo Proton Cancer Centre, also agrees. 'In order to safeguard public health, the government's decision to ban mayonnaise made from raw eggs is both appropriate and essential,' he points out.
'A common ingredient in street foods like burgers and shawarmas, contaminated mayonnaise is a major contributor to food-borne illnesses like diarrhoea and nausea. Young people are especially vulnerable because they often eat food from outside without understanding how it is prepared or stored. This ban is an important step toward food safety because Salmonella can contaminate eggs internally before the shell forms,' he adds.
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